Militant Linguists
Posted on July 28, 2006 - Filed Under Language, Tempests In Teacups | Leave a Comment
Will Shortz Must Be Stopped And this is not the first time, my friend Aaron Kaplan points out to me. The New York Times crossword puzzle for last December 30 had the clue “Lord’s Prayer adjective,” and the answer is 3 letters long. The answer is supposed to by thy. But thy is not an [...]
Read More..>>Number Five Is Alive
Posted on July 28, 2006 - Filed Under Drinking, Music, Robot Brains | Leave a Comment
At daytrotter.com, there is an interview with Two Gallants: Which songwriters do you admire? AS: Uncle Dave Macon, Clarence Ashley, Sleepy John Estes, Kris Kristofferson, Ray Davies, Immortal Technique. Whose brain would you like to pick for half a day? AS: Karl Rove. I’d pick his brain until he could only eat through a straw [...]
Read More..>>What To Do in Austin, TX?
Posted on July 27, 2006 - Filed Under Food, Music, On The Road Again, Robot Brains | 5 Comments
We’re1 getting married soon at BMK HQ. For Phase II2 of the honeymoon, Monica and I will be taking a road trip, departing from San Francisco on September 16th and returning on the 30th. Our only firm plan so far is to arrive in Austin, Texas on Friday, September 22nd for an M. Ward concert [...]
Read More..>>Hezbollians?
Posted on July 19, 2006 - Filed Under Language, Politics | Leave a Comment
At the Language Log, Benjamin Zimmer writes Mark Liberman has observed that Bush’s penchant for forming toponyms (or demonyms) with the -ian suffix would, in fact, be one way of regularizing a particularly confusing aspect of English morphology. But his use of Hezbollian suggests that Bush would take this linguistic reform beyond the usual suspects, [...]
Read More..>>Well, There Was a Popular Singer Named Frank Stallone
Posted on July 19, 2006 - Filed Under Movies, Robot Brains, Statistics | Leave a Comment
Number of Google News articles currently using the phrase “Rocky VI” : 45 Number of Google News articles currently using the phrase “Rambo IV“: 13
Read More..>>Computer Chess
Posted on July 19, 2006 - Filed Under Robot Brains | Leave a Comment
There is a VERY cool web site for the history of computer chess to go along with the terrestial exhibit at the Computer History Museum. Included online are some pretty cool papers I plan to go through when time permits, along with some geekishly cool archival photos and interactive demonstrations. Most Highly recommended. Engraving of [...]
Read More..>>Silver Jews are coming to Town
Posted on July 19, 2006 - Filed Under Mark Your Calendars, Music | Leave a Comment
Get your tix and I’ll see you there! Silver Jews: September 10 @ The Mezzanine (San Francisco)
Read More..>>Rhapsody Web2.0 Contest
Posted on July 18, 2006 - Filed Under Contests, Music, Robot Brains | Leave a Comment
On-line music service Rhapsody has announced a contest for web developers to create the best “mash up” using their API. Top prize is a trip anywhere in the world to see your favorite band. I’m sure there’s all kinds of catches, but it’s nice to see a music company embrace a developer community and open [...]
Read More..>>Fear and loathing in the Richmond District
Posted on July 18, 2006 - Filed Under Money, Turf Wars | Leave a Comment
Ahhhh, a landlord with style: Sometimes late at night I can hear you scuttling around out there on the internet; packs of feral tenants, slavering and cackling as the rents on craigslist sink ever lower, heedless of the landlords you have broken: kindly, decent family men who built this city brick by brick with their [...]
Read More..>>Internet – Save My Marriage!!
Posted on July 15, 2006 - Filed Under Perception, Sex, Vagaries of the Heart | Leave a Comment
I found the site WeddingSutra.com1 thanks to Meggan’s celebrity wedding cake post. I’m still trying to figure out if this “10 Things Men Don’t Know about Women” is a joke, but I fear it is not… 9. Never mind what she says. She is jealous. Of your mother, your sister, your ex-girlfriend, your new secretary, [...]
Read More..>>BookShop West Portal
Posted on July 14, 2006 - Filed Under Books | Leave a Comment
Though they’ve been open for a couple weeks, BookShop West Portal is doing Grand Opening things. Walking by this afternoon, I see they have some upcoming events: A Paris Salon in San Francisco with Terrance Gelenter, Diane Johnson & Cara Black Saturday July 15 1-5 PM George Lakoff (Bay Area darling / cognitive linguist) Tuesday, [...]
Read More..>>Carhendge NOT a Target
Posted on July 14, 2006 - Filed Under Politics, Turf Wars | Leave a Comment
According to Homeland Security….but for how long? The inspector general puzzled over the fact that California, the most populous state, is listed as having 3,212 possible targets, a total that is less than the totals in each of seven other states, including Nebraska (3,457), Wisconsin (7,146) and Indiana (8,519). The report also notes that Nebraska [...]
Read More..>>Zidane Rashomon
Posted on July 13, 2006 - Filed Under Perception, Sports | Leave a Comment
Funny stuff over at The Register. Internet + World Cup = Awesome.
Read More..>>Piss Off, Salon
Posted on July 10, 2006 - Filed Under Books, Turf Wars | 1 Comment
Does it mean I have an inferiority complex if I tell you to get off your high horse? “Nebraska, where a collective inferiority complex tends to give way to the proud knowledge that those who live here and remain here (or even drive here without using the interstate) have endured extraordinary geographical, meteorological and existential [...]
Read More..>>Cambodian Rock
Posted on July 10, 2006 - Filed Under Music | Leave a Comment
The San Francisco Chronicle has an article about Dengue Fever, an American Cambodian-style rock band: In the ’60s, during the Vietnam War, Armed Forces Radio broadcast the sounds of U.S. pop music throughout Southeast Asia. Cambodian artists heard the call and began to adapt rockabilly, surf, soul music and garage-band hits marked by the sound [...]
Read More..>>Quote of the Day
Posted on July 10, 2006 - Filed Under Film | Leave a Comment
“Patrick Zook, the real-life Rex Kwon Do…”
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